Do you prefer to get your tires cheaper online, have them shipped to your door and get them installed or just buy the tires at the shop/installed same day? I need to get two rear tires for my E39 (235-45-zr17) and I can get two tires for $206 shipped from tires.com. The brand is Faulken but the cheapest I can get locally is $96 each, however, the brand is General . As many of you know, I am on a budget due to getting laid off so I would like to know how you guys get your tires.
My Local tire guy will pretty much meet or beat Tire Rack's prices. He really doesn't care if I order them from Tire Rack and bring them in, or if I have him get the tires for me. One suggestion is to go to tirerack.com, find their recommended installers in their area, you can either have them drop shipped to their location or with giving them a call and seeing what they can do pricing wise. Good Luck!
I've gotten my last two sets from TireRack and am completely satisfied. Their pricing is fantastic compared to some of the local places here. I personally wouldn't consider buying from a local place because of availability issues, and found some of the places nearby to have really crappy brands.
I've done both. I've also got some great deals locally on used tires from craigslist. I just picked up a set of 4 - 13" studded snows all very good for $50. Your size is pretty specialized, so you might not get as lucky. (but it's worth a look.)
General Exclaim UHP are great tires. Many local shops are able to match internet prices if they carry that brand, as mentioned, after you factor in shipping costs. Just find a competent installer that won't damage your wheels and road-force balances.
I have been buying tires from Tire Rack for about 7 years now. I really like them, they always have what I need/want. They ship quickly and there are no surprises.
I like buying locally and developing a relationship with a store. When you are in a jam they will take care of their customers.
The tire places around here will discount if I tell them I can get them cheaper online but only to a certain extent. Mavis tire near me now charges a $21 overhead fee on each tire, plus $25 mounting/balance tire. For two tires it would be almost $300 out the door vs paying $240 online and getting it done at a shop not far from me.
I'd go for TireRack.com and search out the local installer on their website and even then shop the selections for price. Like Steven says, developing a relationship with a local vendor is important. If you find someone who will assist you by allowing you to bring in parts from time to time, all the better. I always ask if they can get a better price on something, and often they tell me that can't but are still happy to perform the service.
TireRack.com for me. I've been buying all my tires there for 10+ years and have them drop shipped to the shop. As soon as they call me and tell me the tires are in, I head over, get them installed and drive home. Never have to handle them, always get a great price and don't have to shop around. As goofy as it sounds, I agree with John about the General Exclaim UHP being a great tire! It's what I run on the M3 sedan and I love them! They are wearing like iron, they are a great rain tire, they are quiet and they are plenty sticky for a street tire. I don't know how well they would do on the track but for a good all around tire on a daily driver...I will absolutely buy them again (from Tire Rack and have them drop-shipped.. ).
Believe it or not, I went to a tire shop today and got two rear tires installed with tax for $221 . I call them recession tires . They are Nexen and I was told that they are part of Michelin of some sort. They look good and the car rides great, so I'm happy.
I thought I'd add my own approach. I always have to have a 'tire guy' locally. Since the last one who was a few miles from town quit the business, I had to find a new one. Like the previous one, he manages a Goodyear store. He knows I will bring him dismounts/mounts of other tires on a regular basis, but he also knows that when I want new ones, I'll give him the chance to make money on them if he can match Tire Rack's pricing. No; he does not stock the same tires as I buy from Tire Rack. No one does. But he can generally get them within a day or two. So when I'm in the market for new tires, I just tell him what I want and ask whether he'd like to get them or if I should have Tire Rack drop ship them. His answer is what we do. So I have the local connection as well as the Tire Rack's pricing.
^^^I like your approach. Once I return to the states I think I will do something similar. When I was in Germany (before coming out here to the desert sands of Iraq) I had 2 local tire guys that I used for all my tire work. I would either one depending on scheduling. They usually did NOT match prices, however, and the 19" tires I needed tended to be on the expensive side (Pirelli Pzero Rossos)
What? That must be from the tire shop marketing these to customers? Nexen is a Korean tire maker that's been around a long time. They manufacture in Korea and China. They used to be called Woosung. I've never heard of any connection in any way to Michelin tire -- total bs imo. Re tires...check out also www.discounttiredirect.com. Their prices listed include shipping, so keep that in mind when comparing to Tire Rack. Anyway, if you have a Discount Tire store near you, they should match the Discount Tire Direct pricing. My DT will match DTdirect or Tire Rack, whichever is lower. Hence, I've been split maybe 50/50 between buying from Tire Rack or DT (both in store and via direct). Luckily, my local DT store has a great manager, and they have never as much as nicked a wheel (have had them do many mountings on my SSR autox wheels (been through many sets of tires), M5 track wheels, M5 OEM wheels, and even runflats on the E90 18" sport wheels).
Folks, keep in mind that Tire Rack is not only a very good operation for performance tires, but it is run by enthusiasts who appreciate BMWs. Tire Rack supports BMW club events including major sponsorship of Club Racing, Street Survival, and more. Two years ago, they graciously hosted 5er Fest for 5 Series owners at their South Bend headquarters, including an autocross on their track and a banquet on their lawn under a huge tent. For years, I could count on talking to a club member whenever I called TR and I believe there are several BMW owners there still. Much of their testing is done with BMWs. No other discount tire seller I know of is so supportive of our organization, so I, for one, will not soon be shopping for a dollar or two off per tire from anyone else.
The same is also true of Discount tire (maybe not to the extent that the Rack does). My former local dealer is an M3 owner and gives further discounts to members. I since moved and the DT dealer I am dealing with now is another BMW fan. He gives me discounts and will bend over backwards to keep me happy. I have used Tire Rack as well and yes they are a great company who supports BMW CCA and I recently purchased a set of tires from them as I wanted a brand and style that only they seemed to have.
I agree with C.R., Tire Rack is such a great supporter of the CCA that I prefer to give them my business whenever I can. We have tried to work with Discount Tire on a local level but we can't get them to step up and support the chapter in ANY way. A couple of the individual stores will give some minor discounts to club members but they won't do anything at a chapter level and certainly not on a national level the way Tire Rack does.
No; just making sure everyone noticed. I figure Tire Rack, over the years, has given me much more than the slight extra cost it may be to buy tires from them. They offer the same to everyone in this club, so some loyalty is deserved.
